Conceptual design of narrow annular channel heater with rectangular wire coil for the simulator of solid-fuel thorium molten salt reactor.

• Narrow annular channel heater is proposed to heat molten salt. • Rectangular wire coil is used to enhance the heat transfer. • The mechanism of enhancement is explained by the synergy field principle. To heat the simulator core of a solid-fuel thorium molten salt reactor, the narrow annular channel heater with rectangular wire coil separating from the tube wall is proposed. Three-dimensional numerical models are developed, and the simulated result shows that negative axial, radial and tangential velocities in the enhanced narrow annular channel heater are generated compared to the smooth narrow annular channel heater. As the wire width increases and helical pitch decreases, the Nusselt number and friction factor increase. The maximum Nusselt number for enhanced narrow annular channel heater is 5.6 times that for smooth narrow annular channel heater. The overall performance of enhanced narrow annular channel heater is evaluated at a constant pumping power, the value of which is in the range of 1.21–1.85. The best enhanced narrow annular channel heater for the simulator of solid-fuel thorium molten salt reactor is determined based on the overall performance. The maximum outer wall and fluid temperatures of enhanced narrow annular channel heater for the simulator of solid-fuel thorium molten salt reactor are 937.94 K and 931.01 K, which are within the safety limit values of 1143.15 K and 977.15 K, respectively. This design will provide a new method to heat molten salt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]